A New Dome for the Bendigo Planetarium [28.04.2010]

A grant of $32,000 will enable the Bendigo Planetarium, located at the Discovery Science & Technology Centre, to purchase a newly refurbished aluminium dome to replace its current ageing canvas dome.

The current canvas dome is held in shape by increasing the air pressure inside the planetarium during presentations. However, being made of canvas means that there are always visible seams and ripples in the fabric, and the dome has a tendency to deflate if someone leaves the room while a show is underway – a far from ideal situation!

The new dome is the sort found in modern, larger planetaria and will enable the Centre to make extensive use of its full-dome digital projection system and software.

The Discovery Science & Technology Centre opened in 1995 as the first science centre in regional Australia. Major attractions at the Centre include the Bendigo Planetarium, The Lab (a 32-seat laboratory – only Scitech in Perth has a similar facility), Kaleidoscope (a zone for younger children) and Australia’s first and tallest vertical slide. Housed in the former Bendigo rail yards goods shed in the Bendigo CBD, it is a major educational resource for the region with schools from as far afield as regional SA and NSW visiting, as well as many tourists.

For more information visit www.discovery.asn.au